Prismatic reflectors



De. 31, 1957` l l K. FRANCK 2,818,500

PRISMATIC REFLECTORS Filed July 3, 1953 INVENToR Amr Ffm/ya( ATTORNEY llnited States Patent 2,818,500 Patented Dec. 3.1, 1957 PRISMATI'Cl REELECTORS.

Kurt Franck, Newark, Ohio, assignorto Holophane Company, Inc., New York, N.y Y., ahcorporation of Delaware Application .Tilly 3', 1953, Serial. No. 365,974

3v Claims; (Cl. -240"106) The present invention relates to prismatic -reilectors and is more particularly directed .toward prismaticV reflectors of the type having an incidentsurface through which light is transmitted, with-or withoutrefractiom.andlhaving an opposed surface in the form of ribs whose sides effect two total reflections of the light in the medium and return it to the incident surface for retransmission in a plane parallel with that ofthe incident light.

When such totally -refle-ctingprismsr are embodied in pressed glass products, the limitations of mold making and molding processes makes i-t` impossible to achieve mathematical precision` ofA the4 reilecting surfaces all the way to the apices of the. prisms.' and in: the valleys between them, with subsequent. light` loss-and leakage into unwanted directions.

The .present inventioncontemplatesy improvements in such reilectois whereby it is possible-to avoidl'th'e loss of light at the apices ofthe prisms, also the loss oflight at the valleys betweenthe-pri'sms'; To carry out theseobjects, the optically opposite surfaces are so disposed that the light refracted at the incident surface is directed into directions such that it does not reach the rounded apices or the concave valleys so that those surfaces cannot receive the light rays coming in directions Where total reflection is desired.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustratin-g the present invention, several embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being understood ithat the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

kIn the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional, diagrammatic view showing light rellection and leakage in Atypical prior art, total reilecting prisms;

lFigure 2 is a view similar to -Figure l, illustrating an improved construction in lwhich light is kept of the apices of the prisms;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, illustrating a modified form of construction in which the light is kept off both the apex of the prism and the fillets interconnecting one prism with the next;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2, illustrating the action taking place in an annular or rounded prismatic reilector;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of an annular reilector embodying the new rellecting prism; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged, sectional view of a further modification.

The typical prior art type totally reflecting prism of a piece of pressed glassware is illustrated in Figure l, Such a structure typically has a smooth, light-incident surface indicated at 10 and an opposed surface composed of symmetrical pris-ms generally indicated at 11. These prisms are symmetrical about a 'median plane 12, 12 and have sides 13, 13 which make angles of 45 with the bisecting or median plane. The median plane is indicated as normal -to the incident surface, but may, as indicated in Patent No. 1,612,804, oe oblique. As the -rellecting prisms are formed in metal molds, itis not practical to obtain mathematical precision at lthe apices of such prisms. They are rounded' as indicated at 14, Figure l. Thereare also. narrower, but readily discernible fillets or valleys between the adjacent prisms, as indicated at 15 15. The sides 13, 13 of the prism are effective to return rays, such as 16 and 17, on parallel paths so that. a ray falling on the ltotally rellecting surface at angles for total reflection ist returned to the incident surface 10 for transmission parallel to its original direction. Rays such-as 18, 1S close to Ithe bisecting plane 12 strike the rounded surface 14, which acts as a condensing lens, transmitting and converging them as indicated at 18, 18. This transmissionof light involves leakage of a substantial amount ofthe total light tlux, perhaps on the order of 10% to 15%', and,L as the emitted light is coming from narrow regions, the apices of pressed glass reflecting prisms are of relatively high brightness. Light rays such, as 19, 19 falling on the Valleys or fillets 15 between the prisms areA also transmitted and spread as though coming from a concave lens as indicated in Figure l. The 'curved valleys are narrow and the light losses there are generally m-uch less than the light loss at the apex of the. prism.

Figure 2 illustrates a new form of construction in which the light is kept oi the rounded apices ofthe reflecting prisms. Here totally reilecting prisms are indicated at 20, having -sides 21, 21 and rounded apices 22. These prisms appear in the drawing to be about the same as those shown in Figure 1. The incident surface,.however, instead of being generally rectilinear, is here made up of a number of contiguous, shallow'flutesk 23, 23, centered on the bisecting planes 24, 24 of the prisms 20; The general direction of this surfaceis, for convenience, shown normal to the bisecting plane. The ilutes 23 are convex toward incident light and have such refracting power as to divert rays 25, 25 close to the bisecting plane, as indicated at 25', 25', and cause these rays to strike the opposed surface of the reflecting pn'sms 22 at 25, 25 beyond `the rounded surface 22 at the apex of the prism-s, where they are totally reilected as at 25a.

Other rays such as 26, 26 and 27, 27 are deviated with slight convergence, as indicated at 26', 27', so as to strike the sides 21, 21 of the prisms and are totally reflected, as indicated at 26a, 27a, respectively.

The rays 27, 27 which strike the reilecting surface near the roots of the prisms do not suffer any deviation by the flutes 23, 23. Hence, near the valleys, between the surfaces of Ithe reflecting prisms, the slope would be the same as that of the prisms of Figure l, i. e., 45

lnas-much as the rays between 25 and 27 are somewhat condensed or concentrated by the convex surface 23, it is necessary to slightly adjust 'the prole of the prism sides 21, 21 to assure that the cross-reflected rays such as 25a, 26a, 27a will be at right angles to the bisecting or median plane 24, 24. This refinement requires that the surfaces 21, 21 be slightly convex to the internal, totally reilected light, or concave as viewed from the outside. This renement may or may not be applied, as desired.

yFigure y3 illustrates a further refinement in the con-tour of the opposed surfaces of the reilector. Here the rellecting prism is indicated at 30, wi-th sides at 31, 31, its rounded apex at 32, and the rounded illlets between the prisms are indicated at 33, 33. The incident surface of the Ireflector is provided with `convex ilutes 34, each of half the width of the prism 30. Rays such as 35, 36 are concentrated as indicated at 35', 36', so that they do not fall on either `the rounded apex or the rounded lllet. These rays, as well as the intermediate rays 37, 37, are totally reflected as indicated at 35a, 36a and 37a. The profile of the sides 31, 31 of the prism 30 may or may not be adjusted to maintain the reflected rays 35a, 36a, 37a at right angles to the bisecting plane, as desired.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 4, two prisms such as 20, 20 of Figure 2 are radially disposed on an annular rellecting body of large diameter. The same reference characters used in Figure 2 are used for the corresponding rays in Figure 4.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of an annular reflector 40 provided with radial reilecting prisms 41 which may be of the character shown. in Figures 2 and 3. The inner ilutes are also radial. T he light center is indicated at LC and typical incident and rellected rays in the plane of the sheet are indicated at 42 and 43. Change in vertical angle of the reflected rays may be obtained by varia-tion of .profile or by inner annular refracting ribs which carry the flutes.

Figure 6 illustrates a reflector as in Patent No. 1,612,804, receiving light obliquely to its general direction. Here the reflecting prisms 50 with rounded apices 51, as above discussed, have tilted bisecting planes 52 medial of 4the retracted rays S3 in the reilector, and the curved surfaces 54, though physically displaced from the reilecting surfaces, are optically opposite them.

The foregoing construction makes it possible to substantially reduce the leakage of light from prismatic relfiectors. -It also reduces the brightness of the outer surface of `such reflectors, particularly at the peaks of the reilecting ridges or ribs.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and `constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it 'to be understood that the particular forms `shown are but several of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A pressed glassware prismatic reilector, said retector being transparent and having an inner light incident surface and an outer surface, said outer surface being composed of symmetrical double reflecting prisms, each prism being formed of two reflecting surfaces joined 5 by an apex, each of said apexes of said prisms defining a curved portion interconnecting the two light reilecting surfaces of its associated prisms, each prism having a median bisecting plane extending through the apex thereof, said inner surface having a series of ilutes, each of said 10 flutes extending from one of said planes to the next adjacent one of said planes and having a Width equal to the distance between adjacent ones of said median planes, each of said ilutes being convex and being of a refracting power to deviate light parallel to and adjacent to its lo adjacent bisecting planes away from the rounded apexes associated with said planes.

2. A reflector as set forth in claim 1 wherein adjacent prisms are joined by concave llets intermediate said bisecting planes, and the flute width equals one-half the dis- 20 tance between said bisecting planes, with Isaid ilutes having a refracting power to also deviate light parallel to and intermediate said planes away from said llets.

3. A reflector as set forth in claim l wherein said reilector is annular in shape. 

